Anniversary Drabbles
by Aquamarine07
Summary: A series of 25 drabbles: one written every day up until Will and Elizabeth's first "anniversary" on May 25. Willabeth fluff, angst, and romance abound! TODAY'S DRABBLE: MASCARA
1. Patience

Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean.

A/N: Well, here's the first in my series of drabbles for the "Willabeth Anniversary Drabble" challenge over at HtR! This is my first attempt at modern Willabeth, so be nice.

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1. Patience

Elizabeth drummed her fingers against the dark wood of the coffee table restlessly, shooting another exasperated look out the window. It was a rainy day in London, but it wasn't the weather that put her in a bad mood. Will had called that morning to ask if he could stop by her flat around noon, and the tone of his voice revealed that he was brooding over something or another. It would be a lie if Elizabeth said that she didn't find the way his brow crinkled and his eyes lost their focus incredibly adorable, but today she had no patience for a serious discussion about their future over her lunch break.

She and Will had been together for two years to this very day, and for the past few weeks, Will had been acting quite strangely. He was still the sensitive and endearing man Elizabeth fell in love with, but his nature had turned more serious. Will always seemed to want to talk about what Elizabeth wanted for her life and her future; he wanted to know her every hope, dream, and fear. Elizabeth appreciated that Will was making an effort to really get to know her better, but she couldn't think of anyone else in the world who knew more about her from the beginning. They connected on a level that didn't require twenty questions to affirm; it was if the past two years had melded their souls together.

She watched a single raindrop slide down the window and it only seemed to increase her irritation. Elizabeth had an inkling of the source of Will's constant and unrelenting questions, but she wished he would just get on with it. And she certainly did _not_ want to have to rack her brain today for her favorite childhood memory or her most bizarre craving in order to satisfy Will's unending curiosity. The humidity in the air was giving her a headache, and she was pretty sure that the ache in her neck was not going away any time soon.

A clicking noise alerted Elizabeth to the fact that Will had let himself into her flat. She closed her eyes briefly and inhaled deeply, trying to calm her nerves so that she wouldn't snap at Will. Opening her eyes again, she stood up at rushed the door. Elizabeth was met with the sight of Will standing disheveled and soaking wet just inside the door, shaking out his curly locks like a dog. Elizabeth clicked her tongue and helped him out of his coat, saying, "Will, _must_ you insist on going out in all weather? You are going to catch something eventually."

Will just grinned at her adoringly, cupping her neck with his hand and kissing her quickly. When they broke apart, Will slid his fingers down her arm gently and took her hand in his, still grinning like a madman. He led Elizabeth to the living room and guided her to sit at the couch. Will began to pace in front of the couch, beaming wildly, while Elizabeth grew more and more impatient. She crossed her arms and watched him pace, frowning slightly.

After two minutes of pacing, Elizabeth cracked. "Will?" she asked, frustrated.

He stopped and turned to her. "Elizabeth, where do you see us in ten years?"

"Will, I'm not in the mood for these questions! You've been acting differently for weeks… I can't decide if you're trying to make me go mad with the waiting, because you're doing very well! I love you, Will, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I don't know how much plainer I can say it! I understand that you need time to think about things. I get it, Will, but either we move forward or we don't. I'm hanging here just _waiting_ for you to make a decision… and its driving me crazy! "

Will stopped his pacing and looked at her, his face adorably confused. Elizabeth flushed deeply, ashamed of her outburst. She took a breath and sighed, saying, "I'm sorry, Will, I didn't mean to explode like that, it's just that I've just been in a bad mood all day and I shouldn't have taken it out on you-"

She stopped abruptly when Will began to chuckle. "What?" she asked angrily, "What's so funny?"

His chuckle turned into an outright laugh as he took both of her hands in his, pulling her to her feet. "Elizabeth, I love you too. You know that."

She blinked at him once confusedly. "So you aren't angry with me?"

"Of course not!" Will chuckled again. "Elizabeth, I love you so much, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you too. I'm sorry I've been difficult to live with for the last few weeks, but I wanted to make sure I was ready before..."

"Before what?" Elizabeth whispered, her voice catching in her throat.

"Before I did this," Will whispered back, bending down on one knee in front of her.

"Oh Will…" she breathed as the tears began to gather in her eyes. This was the moment she had been waiting for since the day she met him.

"Elizabeth Swann, will you marry me?" he asked, pulling out a ring from his back pocket and presenting it to her proudly.

For a split second she was knocked completely speechless. Will inhaled deeply in suspense.

"Yes," she whispered, a grin creeping on to her face. "Yes, yes, yes!" she squealed, getting louder and louder with each response. Will laughed in relief and plucked the ring out of its box, placing it lovingly onto her finger. Elizabeth pulled Will to his feet and jumped into his arms, the tears finally leaking out. "Yes!" she exclaimed again as he swung her around in circles.

"Yes," she whispered again when he had set her down gently, before he launched his lips onto hers once again.

"See," Will winked as they broke the kiss, "Good things come to those who wait."


	2. Picture

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean.

A/N: Well, its Day 2! This one came out of nowhere... and its angsty. I was planning to write a short humorous piece, but this is what happened instead. Sorry in advance if it doesn't make any sense or if its terrible. I'm tired.

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2. Picture

It was all she had left of him. Any other trace of his existence was long gone. The last shred of anything… and yet it was her everything.

They were sweethearts when she was not but sixteen, and him seventeen. They delighted in the wonders of first love… marveling at how magnificent and fantastic the world could be. They had no doubts, no insecurities, no fears. They lost themselves in each other, and along the way, they lost reality as well; settling into the indestructible confidence of the teenage years. Nothing did, and nothing would, ever go wrong in their lives.

Then the real world hit them abruptly in the face, with the arrival of graduation. Yearbooks were signed, tassels distributed, and friends hugged goodbye. It was time to move on.

In that instant, with both wearing their graduation robes of blue and white, the world seemed to stop. Their families gathered around, kissing and crying their congratulations. But for that one moment, the pair that would last forever locked eyes and the truth set in; life was about to pull them apart.

It was a hard blow for them both. As high school sweethearts do, they clung to each other and promised to stay in touch. She cried a bit as the "I'll miss you" 's were exchanged. Her father, a little over exuberant with his new camera, snapped a picture when neither were ready. Their mothers hugged as well, praising their children and reminiscing in old memories. With one last look over her shoulder, she was dragged away to a celebration, catching one last glimpse of his heartbroken face before she was attacked by her enthusiastic family.

This happened three years ago, when they each went their own ways. She went to a university, he a community college. She studied art, filling her head with the fantasies of admiring her work in a gallery someday. He worked to become an engineer, finding his real passion in the molding of metals and glass.

She was dating someone else, too. She met James freshman year, and they had been together since then. He was a great guy… but he wasn't _him. _

She couldn't get "him" out of her head. She felt so juvenile, still in love with her high school sweetheart. She wished she could grow up like the rest of the girls and move on with her life, acting like it was just a little fling. But she couldn't.

It was this little nagging feeling in her head every time she got close to James. Or whenever the other girls gossiped about dating the university senior jocks, all she could picture was him in a community college workshop, pounding away at burning metal. She imagined him teaching classes as a part time job- showing people how to blow glass or manipulate metal for fun. He was so passionate about everything he did; she imagined him very happy with his life.

But something was missing from hers. And as she stared at that little crumpled-up photograph from graduation, it was clear to her what (or who) it was.

Three years after high school graduation is not usually the best time to call your high school sweetheart, she thought. Things change.

But her feelings hadn't.

With every nerve in her body on edge, she picked up the phone and dialed his cell phone number.

"Hello?" a man's voice answered on the third ring.

"Hi," she began nervously, "Will? This is Elizabeth… Elizabeth Swann."

"Elizabeth?" he responded eagerly. "Wow, this is such a surprise! How have you been?"

"Oh, I've been fine, really. How about you?"

"I've been really good. Engineering is seriously my calling. I don't even have to try half the time," he laughed.

"Lucky you," she laughed, "I guess you _had_ to have a little fun sometime seeing as you did nothing but work in high school. I'm studying nearly around the clock here."

"Elizabeth Swann, studying? Nah, I don't believe it."

"Hey!"

"I guess you had to pay for all those late-night parties…"

"Now hold up-"

"And those fake study sessions…"

"Come on!"

"And of course, spending about every second you had with me. Yeah, I guess it had to catch up with you eventually." If she were standing next to him, she would have sworn he was winking.

"Now see here, Mr. Turner-" she began in a mock-serious voice.

"What goes around comes around, Miss Swann," he said playfully, his deep voice sending her into a fit of giggles.

"Gosh, I've missed you Will!" she exclaimed once she had calmed down.

"And I've missed you! I guess I never realized it had been so long…"

"That's what I called to talk to you about. I wanted to know if you wanted to get together sometime and reconnect, maybe have a cup of coffee or something," she said, crossing her fingers.

He hesitated, and her heart sank.

"Listen, Elizabeth, I'd really like to, but I'm sort of seeing someone right now. I don't know if it would be a good idea to…"

"Oh! I totally understand," she said, biting her lip, "I'm seeing someone too. Maybe another time?"

"Definitely," he said, sounding quite miserable.

There was another awkward pause, before he continued, saying, "I'm really sorry, Elizabeth." He sounded genuinely apologetic.

"No problem," she said, trying to sound nonchalant. "I'll call you again, sometime, alright?"

"Yeah," he said, still sounding regretful.

"Bye, Will," she said, her voice cracking.

"Bye, Elizabeth," he responded.

She sighed, letting a single tear fall onto the wrinkled picture. It was all she had left of him.


	3. Sneak Attack

Disclaimer: Still don't own PotC.

A/N: This is 25 minutes late. Darn it! Who would've thought that it would take me an hour to write a drabble? And, since I'm breaking all of the rules today, this is also 15 words over the 1,000 word limit. Darn it, again! But its my favorite drabble so far, so I hope that makes up for my offenses. We're back to fluff in this one, because I love to take you on an emotional rollercoaster. Enjoy!

* * *

"Your turn!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she applied a layer of pink nail polish to her toes.

"Elizabeth Swann-" Ana began, adopting a fake news anchor voice. "Truth…" she asked seriously, pausing dramatically for effect, "Or dare?"

"Umm…" Elizabeth pondered, tapping her chin with her free hand. "Truth, I guess."

"You're such a chicken!" Ana whined, putting on a fake pout. Ana picked 'dare' every time.

"Oh, just ask me the question!" Elizabeth responded, knowing Ana too well to buy into her antics.

"Fine, but it's going to be a really good one!" Ana declared.

It was a girls' night out, or in their case, a girls' night in. Each had kicked their respective boyfriends out of Ana's flat for the night, which turned out to be more entertaining than the movie they had planned to watch. Will (being of a more sensitive nature) went without a fuss, kissing Elizabeth goodbye gently and telling her to have a good time. Jack, on the other hand, made somewhat of a big deal out of the plans, having a complete meltdown worthy of a drama-queen. He threw his hands up in the air dramatically and exclaimed, "Fine! I know when I'm not wanted!" Faking a sniffle, he dodged a handful of popcorn that flew his way (courtesy of Ana) and refused to budge. It wasn't until Will threatened to physically drag Jack out the door that he decided it was a battle lost. He hung his head miserably and trudged out, but perked right back up when Will suggested that they go to a bar and have a drink.

"_Men_," Ana had sighed after the impromptu show was over, "And they say _women_ are emotional!"

So she and Elizabeth had done the whole slumber party routine: movie, hair, makeup, gossip, nails, and now Truth or Dare.

"What do you really think about Will?" Ana asked at last, finishing with a smirk.

"Ana!" Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes, "That's your idea of a _hard_ question?"

"Sometimes people don't like to talk about it!"

"I thought you said I talked about it so much it made you want to puke?"

"Just answer the question!"

"Fine!" Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes again. "I love him, okay? A lot. Like so much, it scares me, because now I can't imagine my life without him. As if I couldn't exist without him by my side every day. Which also scares me, because I'm talking about forever here, and I'm not sure if he's in it for the long run. But… none of this matters, because I love him so much. He has my heart and soul, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened them, Ana was looking repulsed.

"What?!" Elizabeth exclaimed, exasperated.

"You were right. Now I _really_ want to puke."

"That makes two of us," a man's voice from the shadows said. Without warning, Jack and Will burst out from behind the sofa with two enormous pillows in their hands and triumphant grins on their faces. Each went after their girl; with Jack diving over the couch to tackle Ana and Will squishing Elizabeth between the cushions and the coffee table. The air was filled with squeals as the girls were tickled mercilessly. Jack and Will only relented when they were out of breath because they were laughing so hard.

"Par-lay," Elizabeth panted, her shoulders still shaking with laughter.

"Oh no," Jack declared with a wink. "I'm taking this one as a prisoner!" He grabbed Ana and pinned her to the couch.

"I-hate-you!" Ana managed to squeak as Jack began tickling her again.

Elizabeth and Will locked eyes, and they both began to laugh. Will moved off Elizabeth and pulled her to her feet, giving her a quick hug. "I hope we didn't scare you too badly," he said, searching Elizabeth's eyes to see if she was suddenly going to have a heart attack or something.

In response, Elizabeth smacked him playfully on the arm. "Hey!" he said, rubbing his shoulder.

"Never again, Mister!" she scolded him teasingly.

He laughed good-naturedly, before whispering, "Did you mean what you said earlier?"

Elizabeth blushed, realizing that he and Jack had heard her confession to Ana. "Every word, love," she whispered back, doing such a good imitation of Jack that Will couldn't help but smile.

"Love you, Will," she murmured, looking into his eyes.

"Love you more," he responded, leaning forward in order to capture her lips in a kiss…

_WHAM! _

It seemed Ana and Jack had stopped fighting long enough to launch a pillow in the direction of the two lovebirds. "Do you two _mind_?" he cried, receiving scandalized looks from both Will and Elizabeth. "I'm trying to hold down my last drink here, with no help from you two!"

Elizabeth threw Jack a murderous look, but Will had a better idea. He turned to Elizabeth and suddenly grabbed her, kissing her passionately while Jack and Ana made sounds of disgust in the background. Will paid them no mind, lowering Elizabeth into a dip without breaking the kiss. They didn't break apart until yet another pillow was shot in their direction. He set Elizabeth back on her feet gracefully and sent a smirk at Jack.

"Something bothering you, Jack?" he asked cheekily, eliciting a giggle from Elizabeth.

"That's it!" Jack declared. "I'm taking my prisoner, and we're out of here!" He grabbed Ana and threw her over his shoulder, causing her to gasp and start pounding on his back for release. With a wink, he carried her out the door and shut it behind him.

"I guess we have Ana's flat all to ourselves, then," Will noticed.

"I guess so," Elizabeth responded.

"Now, where were we?" Will asked seductively, before seizing Elizabeth and kissing her again.

"Right about there," Elizabeth said, when the need for air became too great.

"If this is what it gets me, I'm going to plan a sneak attack more often!" Will murmured, and before she could react, he threw Elizabeth over his shoulder and carried her out the door.


	4. Puppets

Disclaimer: GUESS WHAT?! I don't own PotC! ... Shocker, I know.

A/N: Well I'm putting this up earlier than I usually do, seeing as the only time I have to write during the day is really late at night. Thank you to everyone that has reviewed! It really means a lot to me :) Alright, on to today's drabble! Its a fluffy one, and I don't really know if its Period or Modern. I know what I meant it to be... but I'm going to leave it up to you to interpret it as you like. And now I'm rambling! Enjoy, and review if you wish!

* * *

"Mother!" thirteen-year-old William whined. "Don't you think I'm a little _old_ to be playing with toys?"

"William, please? I just need a few minutes of peace and quiet," Elizabeth pleaded with her son.

"But Mum-" William tried again, a pout creeping onto his face.

"Just for a little while, William-"

"I wanted to go outside!"

"You can play later, William, but right now I need you to do this for me-"

"_Mum!_"

"- so that I can get my work done-"

"Puppets! Puppets!" two-year-old Caroline squealed, adding her little voice to the noise of the argument.

"- and then I promise, you can have the rest of the day for yourself."

"Fine!" William said, throwing up his arms in defeat.

"Thank you, William," his mother responded sincerely, kissing her first child on the top of his head.

"Ugh, mum!" William chided, "I'm too old for that too!"

"You'll never be too old for that," Elizabeth murmured to herself, but chose not to press the issue. She scooped up little blonde-haired Caroline into her arms and held her on one hip, saying, "Now Caroline, you'll be good for William, won't you?"

William rolled his eyes as Caroline nodded, her face breaking out into a smile at the prospect of playing with her older brother. "I saw that, William," Elizabeth scolded, without breaking eye contact with her daughter.

"Sorry, mum," William said.

"And will you play nice with your sister?" Elizabeth asked, turning to face William.

William's cheeky remark was discarded when he saw his little sister's hopeful face. "Yes, I will," he said with a sigh. "C'mere, Caroline."

He extended his arms and his mother placed Caroline into them, smiling at her two children. William tried to act older than he was most of the time, as was common for a thirteen-year-old boy, but Elizabeth knew that he still had a huge soft spot for his sister. Caroline's face lit up when William swung her around suddenly and place her on his back, bouncing her all the way out the door.

Elizabeth smiled again before returning to her work, the giggles of her youngest daughter echoing down the hallway.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, when Will had returned from his work, Elizabeth decided to check on William and Caroline. She retold the whole story to Will, who listened as they tiptoed down the hallway, hoping not to disturb the peace that had finally been achieved.

"He's just so touchy, these days, Will, but I know he loves his sister. It's probably just a phase, anyway-"

She cut off as she peaked around the corner, and gasped at the scene in front of her. William and Caroline had fallen asleep, it seemed, with the puppets that Caroline so desperately wanted to play with still on their hands. Caroline was up on William's bed, with William drowsing below her on the ground, a cushion under his head.

"Oh Will!" Elizabeth whispered, moving aside so that he could have a look inside. He smiled too, and then tiptoed inside to kiss Caroline on the forehead. Elizabeth found a blanket for William and tucked both children in, removing the puppets from their hands and placing them on the dresser. "I wish it would stay like this forever," Elizabeth whispered, "I wish they wouldn't grow up."

Will pulled one of the female puppets off the dresser and put it on his hand, saying in a high pitch voice, "Cheer up Elizabeth, we still have a while longer."

Elizabeth giggled at her husband's antics, pulling one of the puppets off the dresser as well. "And after all," she continued, "_You_ certainly haven't grown up yet, so why should I worry about them?"

"Oh you're going to get it for that!" Will said, tossing the puppet onto the dresser. Elizabeth did the same, before running out the door with a playful smile on her face. With one last look at his children, Will chased her out the door, closing it quietly behind him.


	5. Ferris Wheel

Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of PotC. That's all there is to it.

A/N: I realized that lately most of my drabbles have been starting with arguments, as this one does. I'll try to snap out of that habit. In the meantime, here's today's dabble for the word Ferris Wheel (it was exactly 1000 words! yay me!). Oh, and thank you to all that reviewed! You guys ROCK!

* * *

"No way, Elizabeth."

"Come _on_, Will, it's not nearly as bad as it looks!"

"Oh really? Because it looks pretty terrible to me. I'd much rather ride the Ferris Wheel."

It was a beautiful day to be at an amusement park. Not too cold, not too hot. A slight breeze to keep you comfortable. The adequate amount of cloud cover so you wouldn't get sunburned. Families and friends alike were out enjoying the weather and the delights that were provided by the park; everyone except one Will Turner, who flat-out refused to ride a roller coaster.

Which was simply not acceptable in the eyes of his thrill-seeking adrenaline-junkie girlfriend, Elizabeth Swann.

"You've never even tried one," she reasoned, "You might like it!"

"I don't need to try one to realize that _thing_ is a steel deathtrap!"

"It's perfectly safe, Will, I promise. Would they really let people ride it if it wasn't?"

He still looked skeptical.

"Will," she implored him with a pout, using the most persuasive tone she had. "Please… ride it with me?"

"I don't know, Elizabeth… "

"It's okay if you don't want to, Will" Elizabeth reassured him. "I'm not going to pressure you into it."

Will sighed in relief. "Thanks, Elizabeth, I'm glad you understand-"

He cut off, however, when Elizabeth turned abruptly and began walking toward the rollercoaster's entrance. "Hey!" he called after her, running to where she was. He caught up with her as she went into entrance of the rollercoaster and twisted through the line-markers: barely anyone was waiting to get on. "Elizabeth!" he called again, grabbing her arm. "What on earth do you think you're doing?"

"I said I wouldn't pressure _you_ into riding it if you didn't want to; I didn't say anything about _me_ not riding it," she explained to him with a wink.

"Elizabeth, are you sure about this?" he asked her, searching her eyes for any sign of doubt.

"Completely sure," Elizabeth said confidently, "I can't wait!"

Will deliberated with himself for a moment. "Fine," he said with a sigh, "I'll ride with you."

Elizabeth squealed with delight. "Oh thank you Will! I promise you won't regret it! It's going to be so much fun!" she exclaimed in one breath, throwing her arms around him.

"I hope so," Will murmured as they continued through to the place where you could board the coaster. Will took a deep breath, and followed Elizabeth onto the seats, where he was strapped in and poked and prodded until he was so secure in the seat he could barely breathe. Elizabeth, however, didn't notice; she was too busy beaming in excitement.

"You know they say this is one of the tallest coasters ever built?" Elizabeth stated animatedly, trying to cheer Will up but failing miserably.

"You don't say?" Will responded, his voice jumping a few octaves in pitch.

"Don't worry, Will, just close your eyes and it will all be over in… 4-5 minutes, tops," Elizabeth said comfortingly.

"The worst 4-5 minutes of my life," Will grumbled. "You know, Elizabeth, I'm starting to have second thoughts about this whole thing…"

And just as he said it, the coaster pulled out of the gate.

"Yay!" Elizabeth cheered.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no..." Will whispered, holding onto the handles for dear life.

"Breathe, Will…this is going to be awesome!" Elizabeth said, bouncing up and down in her seat as much as the restraints would allow her to. She looked sideways at Will, who appeared rather green as they began climbing the first hill. Reaching out with her left hand, she took his hand in hers and squeezed it. "You're going to love it, I promise," she said.

In response, he squeezed her hand back. Will thought it wise to keep his mouth shut for the rest of the ride.

After what seemed like an eternity, the coaster peaked at the top of the hill. Will and Elizabeth glanced around, able to see the whole park around them. Will tried his best not to look down.

The coaster slowly inched over the peak of the hill…

Little more…

Little more…

Little more…

And they were off.

The track went into a steep dive of almost ninety degrees. Will and Elizabeth screamed (though for completely different reasons), their hands still intertwined between them. The coaster pulled out of the dive and barreled around another turning, bring them back up to another steep drop. This one, however, cut off abruptly and whisked them around in a loop-de-loop. Two more barrel rolls and it was 

time for the corkscrew. Upside down once… twice… three times... Will lost track of what was the ground and what was the sky. A series of bunny hops followed, bouncing the coaster like a child's toy.

And then it was over, almost as quickly as it began.

Will didn't move for a second, and neither did Elizabeth, allowing both of their safety restraints to automatically lift off them. Will stepped out of the coaster at last, putting one shaky foot on the ground. He turned around and reached for Elizabeth, who was looking a bit shell-shocked herself.

They walked out of the exit in complete silence. Will's terror was beginning to ebb away, and a strange new feeling was replacing it. He experienced the most severe energy rush he had ever felt and the blood started pumping in his veins. The adrenaline rushed through his brain and caused him to walk through the exit with a bounce in his step.

He came to realize that he enjoyed the coaster very much, and he loved the feeling he had afterward. "Elizabeth," he said, "That was AWESOME! I can't believe I didn't want to ride that!"

He turned to see her reaction, only to find she had stopped walking five feet behind him and was clutching her stomach. "Elizabeth!" he said, rushing over to her, "Are you alright?"

She looked up at him and smiled, "You were right. We should have rode the Ferris Wheel."


	6. Sand

Disclaimer: Still a negative. I'll let you know if anything changes.

A/N: This one is ... different. Its sort of a free form poem, if you will. Its also my first real period drabble! Hopefully it makes some sense... at least it does in my head ;) Enjoy, and please review at the end! I'd love to hear what you think about this...

* * *

It was in the sand that they spent the day.

Sand witnessed the joining of two soul mates,

Grains feeling the love and passion between a husband and a wife…

Something that neither minded as they spent their last day together.

--

It was in the sand that he left.

Sand caught the tears that fell from her cheeks,

Grains becoming mixed with the tears of love and agony…

Something that remained unchanged when everything in her life had.

--

It was in the sand that he could not go.

Sand stayed a constant temptation, because land was not an option,

Grains that taunted and teased, calling him back to where he knew he belonged…

Something that he wanted so desperately, but could not have.

--

It was in the sand that he would return.

Sand moved under his feet as he ran to the woman he loved,

Grains thrown into the air as they embraced and cried and kissed again…

Something that reunited a love that could not be broken.

--

It was in the sand that he would meet his son.

Sand quivered beneath him as they were united at last,

Grains ignored as he spun his child around in the air, laughing with happiness…

Something that ignited the strongest bond between a father and his son.

--

And it was in the sand that he would stay.


	7. Mascara

Disclaimer: PotC is definetly not mine.

A/N: This is for the word Mascara. I saw the word and this situation just popped into my head... and it really has nothing to do with mascara. And it assumes that the curse is not broken (which I know it totally is, so don't worry). But just go with me here: its modern and Will is returning for his one day ashore, and meets someone surpsing. Its very angsty. And random. And probably terrible. And too long. But... I'm still posting it. If it makes any sense to you whatsoever, I'd love to here so in a review. Thanks for bearing with me through this one :)

* * *

Will spent the day roaming around the boardwalk, taking in all of the tourist attractions and beachside stands. He could hardly believe how developed this place had become in ten years' time: going from virtually unpopulated to a massive beach resort. People were everywhere, taking pictures and flying kites and enjoying the surf. How he wished he could join them, carefree and content. Will sighed and continued to stroll along, unnoticed, just enjoying the feeling of solid ground beneath his feet. Soon enough… soon enough he would have to go back.

As he walked along, he noticed a family sitting on the beach for a picnic. The two children, a boy and a girl, were building sand castles and then playfully knocking them down when they had finished. Each time the sand crumbled to the ground, both exploded in a fit of giggles. Their parents, watching from a few feet away, smiled at their children's innocent fun. He noticed the couple was holding hands, completely and blissfully carefree.

Will turned away, feeling the tears in his eyes, and mentally shook himself. After this many years, he had to be strong.

Gazing at the horizon out of habit, Will realized it was late in the afternoon. There was still one more place he had to visit. He decided to go now, and spend the rest of his day there.

He took a beaten trail along the beach, one that led him well beyond the tourists and development. Within minutes he had completely lost the sound of the vacationers. Will knew to get to his destination he would have to walk along the shore for at least a mile, but he didn't mind.

The minutes passed, and the sun slipped lower and lower in the sky. He quickened his pace, hoping he would still have at least an hour to spend in his special place. _Almost there_, he thought, climbing around a few rocks that stuck out of the shore.

Finally he arrived. He smiled despite himself as he looked around the familiar beach. This was where he would come every ten years' to spend his last few minutes on land, before returning for another decade of servitude to Calypso. This was his special place… _their_ special place. The beach he had spent the most wonderful days of his life on. Where he spent his honeymoon, and then where he met his son, and then later his daughter. Where, every decade for 50 years, he would return and find his wife and family waiting for him to return. Yes, he would spend his time where he felt closest to those he loved.

He closed his eyes and breathed in the sea spray, but opened them suddenly when he heard a dry sob coming from the far end of the beach. He looked around quickly, and his eyes fell on a young woman of no more than twenty sitting on one of the rocks and crying her eyes out. She had pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, burying her head as if to protect herself from the harsh reality.

Something tugged at the place where Will's heart used to reside. He couldn't stand and watch someone in pain… so he slowly began to approach the girl. She apparently heard his footsteps over the noise of her tears because she looked up at him almost instantly. Her face was streaked with salty tears- the mascara in her eyes was beginning to smudge. Upon seeing him, she quickly 

took the sleeves of her sweatshirt and wiped her face, sitting up straighter in order to maintain composure.

When Will was a safe five feet away from her, he stopped and asked gently, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she mumbled, clearing her throat. "Yes, I'm fine."

And without warning, she burst into tears again.

Will moved to sit next to her and tentatively put his arm around her, surprised that she didn't pull away. She sobbed into his shoulder for a few minutes before she offered any sort of explanation.

"I'm… sorry…" she murmured, drawing ragged breaths. "It's just that I never expected it to be this hard…"

Will felt his fatherly instincts surfacing for the first time in years, as he sat there waiting for her explanation.

"My husband… he's… he's…. not here," she began. "He's in the army, and they pulled him to fight overseas. We were newlyweds… barely spent a day together before they called him in…" A fresh round of tears began to form in her eyes. "I just don't know when he's coming back… or even _if _he's coming back. I didn't expect anything to turn out this way- I didn't think I would be alone so soon- and they're talking about this ridiculous new thing like a ten-year tour overseas… saying it would be really good training for the new soldiers… I can't last ten years by myself!"

She was sobbing into Will's shoulder again at this point. Will felt an agonizing pain where his heart should have been; this story reminded him of his own. Newlyweds… barely spent a day together… torn apart too soon… possibly for ten years… only in Elizabeth's story she would have been…

"… and I'm pregnant."

Will gasped inaudibly. This girl's story was almost exactly the same as his and Elizabeth's. He imagined Elizabeth in the same situation as this girl… she had probably sat in this exact spot and poured her heart out to the horizon, just like this girl was now.

He let the girl cry, holding her closely and whispering words of comfort. She seemed to calm down a bit after a while, pulling away from him a bit and straightening up. Will looked at the horizon- he only had a few minutes left to say what he needed to say.

"Would you believe me if I said that I understood what you are going through?" he asked tentatively. She didn't respond, so he continued. "My wife and I were newlyweds when we were separated as well- I was pulled away from her for a long time. She actually used to come here, just like you, and stare at the horizon, just waiting for me to return."

The girl looked surprised. Will decided not to go into detail about how similar their stories really were, as it might raise her suspicions. "But the most important thing is… we got through it. Both of us. I survived, and so did she. It was hard (almost impossible, really) but we made it through. Love… it kept us together. It sustained us… it was what we lived for. We knew our love was strong, and we… we just made it through."

Will's voice choked up a bit as he reassured the girl, knowing that this wasn't the complete truth. He and Elizabeth had never really been reunited… save for five days out of their whole married life. But this girl was looking so hopeful, and he comforted her the best he could.

"You'll get through it too, I just know it," Will finished, looking into her deep brown eyes.

They stayed silent for a moment, just absorbing all that had been shared. Here they were, two complete strangers, and yet they had confided in each other like they had known each other all of their lives.

"Thank you," the girl whispered, breaking the silence.

Will smiled. "My pleasure…" He realized he did not know her name.

"Claire," she supplied for him. Will relaxed a little. He half expected her name to be Elizabeth.

"Claire Turner," she continued. Will's breath caught in his throat and his heart skipped a beat. This girl couldn't be …. no, she couldn't.

"My pleasure, Mrs. Turner," he said with a trembling voice.

"And your name?" she asked him politely. "I like to know the names of the random strangers I pour my heart out to… not that this happens often." She winked.

"William- but I go by Will," he responded. No need to mention his last name.

"Really?" she said, her face lighting up, "That's my brother's name! Apparently it runs in my family… passed down from my great-great-great-great grandfather or something like that," she continued delightedly.

"That's interesting," Will mumbled. Still, the odds were very slim. After all, Claire was married, so she obviously took on the name Turner from her husband. "But I suppose Turner is your married name, then?"

"Oh no," she said, and Will almost fainted, "No, I kept my name."

Will looked at her as if he was seeing her for the first time- could this girl really be a distant granddaughter of his? After all… she came from a family named Turner, and her brother's name was William… passed down through the family... still, Will couldn't be sure.

"Tell me, Claire, how do you know about this place?"

"Oh it's another family tradition. I think my family must have been pirates or something, discovering a place like this so far secluded from everywhere else! But you want to know something interesting… see those swords over there?"

Will looked over, and his eyes found the swords that he and Elizabeth had planted into the sand over a century ago… miraculously still crossed, a symbol of unity. He had the desire to run to them… touch where her hand had been so many years ago.

"Those are supposedly my great-great-great-great grandmother and grandfather's swords... or something like that," she finished.

Will's heart stopped for a split second. Claire was his family… he had run into one of his granddaughters of many generations by accident. And now she was in the same situation as he and Elizabeth … it was all too much. There was so much he wanted to say, so much that he needed to tell her. He could help her, he could comfort her, he could pass on the little he remembered of his life to her … but the sun was almost completely below the horizon now.

"Listen, Claire, I have to leave soon, but just remember… you'll get through this. I promise you, you'll get through this."

Claire nodded, thanking him again. Will hugged her quickly before running off along the shore. He had to be far enough away so that she wouldn't see him go back to the ship.

She waited and watched, seeing him disappear as he ran down the shore. She wiped her face off again, removing all traces of the stained mascara from her cheeks.


End file.
